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Lisbon Treaty
Preparation StageNegotiation Stage Ratification Stage

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Nice Treaty (2001)
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After the Constitution had been rejected in the French and Dutch referenda, member states agreed at the European Council on 16/17 June 2005 on a Declaration on the ratification of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe calling for a period of reflection. During this period European citizens and governments expressed their support for a broader European reform project and demanded a more democratic, transparent and effective Union. Celebrating the EU's 50th anniversary in Berlin, EU leaders vowed to put the EU on a "renewed common basis before the European Parliament elections in 2009", reaffirming the need for a reform.
In June 2007 a small group of politicians, called the Action Committee for European Democracy, published a repackaged treaty for the EU, hoping that a "simplified treaty" could be extracted from the ashes of the rejected EU constitution. However, several controversial issues were still on the table including whether to give the EU a legal personality, the legal status of the fundamental Charter of Human Rights, whether to curb the extension of qualified majority votes in justice and home affairs issues and whether to change the voting system.
After a marathon round of talks, the 27 Heads of States and Governments met in Brussels from the 21 June till 23 June and finally agreed the outline of a new treaty for the bloc with formal intergovernmental negotiations which started on 23 July 2007.
In the 16-page agreement it was established to remove all Constitutional elements from the text, amending the existing treaties rather than replacing them.

German EU Presidency (2007), Presidency Conclusions, Brussels European Council 21/22 June 2007, 11177/07, 23.06.2007. (PDF)

Positions of Member States Positions of European Institutions Bibliography

Positions of Member States

In the forfield of the Brussels European Council 21/22 June 2007, Member States could generally be grouped into four categories (EurActiv):

  • The Group of the Friends of the Constitution, those Countries who attempted to maintain the current constitutional text - Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain;
  • A similar second group which tried to keep the current text and would have liked to see provisions on specific policy areas added. These were mainly the eighteen countries, which had ratified, as well as those who were willing to ratify, notably Ireland, Portugal, Sweden and Denmark.
  • France and the Netherlands prefered a different text, in order to be able to pass it through ratification successfully, following the failed referenda on the EU Constitution in their countries in 2005.
  • The UK, Poland and the Czech Republic opposed the current Constitutional text and attempted to reopen the debate on some of its key elements.
Austria

Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, First building blocks for new consensus on future of EU, Press Release, 28.05.2006. (HTML)

 

 
Belgium

The government of Belgium was generally in favour of a 'Constitution plus' and opposes a 'mini treaty', nevertheless it would like to add more qualified majority voting, more socio-economic policies, more European defence and a treaty revision mechanism, allowing for further multi-speed integration.

Belgian Premier Ministre Guy Verhofstadt, Discours du prononcé devant le Parlement européen, 31.05.2006. (French) (HTML)

Belgian Premier Ministre Guy Verhofstadt (2006), Les Etats-Unis d’Europe, Editions Luc Pire, Bruxelles, 2006; Fiche de lecture, Notre Europe. (PDF)

 
Bulgaria

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Analysis

Handl, V. (2007), Tschechische Europapolitik: schwierige Positionierung während der deutschen Ratspräsidentschaft, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Analysen aus der Tschechischen Republik; Heft No 3. (German) (PDF)

Rihácková, V.; von Seydlitz, C. (2007), Václav Klaus and the Constitutional Treaty – Czech Euroscepsis or Eurorealism?, EUROPEUM, Prague, June 2007. (PDF)

Esparza, D.; Mestankova, P. (2007), Los checos frente a la crisis europea, Real Instituto Elcano, ARI Nº 60/2007, 29/05/2007. (Spanish) (PDF)

 
Denmark

Estonia
 
Finland
Finland’s Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (2006) Speech, Joint Parliamentary Meeting on the Future of Europe in Brussels. 05.12.2006 (PDF)
France

Official Documents

Spanish - French proposal, Non paper Hispano Francés, 14.06.2007. (Spanish) (PDF)

Ministre d'Etat M. Nicolas Sarkozy, Intervention devant Friends of Europe / Amis de l'Europe, Fondation Robert Schuman, 8.09.2006. (French) (PDF)

Analysis

Hierlemann, D.; Seeger, S. (2007), Who wants what and why? FAQs about the EU Constitutional Summit, Bertelsmann Forschungsgruppe Politik, spotlight europe, 2007-03. (PDF)

Delors, J. (2007), France must vote again on the Constitional Treaty, Les Echos, 23.03.2007. (PDF)

Stahl, B. (2006), ‘Europe’ in France’s foreign policy discourses: Threat versus chance, Paper prepared for the EpsNet conference ‘European in Context: Debating the Project’, Central European University, Budapest, 16 and 17 June 2006. (PDF)

Milner, H. (2006), "YES to the Europe I want; NO to this one." Some Reflections on France's Rejection of the EU Constitution, PSOnline, April PS Symposium: EU Constitution: RIP?. (PDF)

 
Germany

Official Documents

German Bundestag (2007), Regierungserklärung und Bundestagsdebatte zum Europäischen Rat am 21./22. Juni 2007, 14.06.2007. (German) (PDF)

Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Steinmeier, Frank-Walter (2007), Speech on the occasion of the WDR Europe Forum, Berlin, 09.05.2007. (HTML)

German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Steinmeier, F.W. (2007),"The constitutional treaty is much more alive than many may think" Speech on the Berlin Declaration to the European Parliament, Strasbourg, 14.03.2007. (HTML)

Christlich Demokratischen Union Deutschland, Deutschlands Verantwortung und Interessen in Europa und der Welt wahrnehmen, Antrag des Bundesvorstandes der CDU Deutschlands an den 20. Parteitag am 27./28. November 2006 in Dresden. (PDF)

Analysis

Hierlemann, D.; Seeger, S. (2007), Who wants what and why? FAQs about the EU Constitutional Summit, Bertelsmann Forschungsgruppe Politik, spotlight europe, 2007-03. (PDF)

Europa-Union Deutschland (2007), 75% der Deutschen wollen Volksbefragung über die EU-Verfassung, EMNID-Umfrage. (German) (PDF)

Seeger, S. (2007), Communicating European Values - The German EU Presidency and the Berlin Declaration, CAP Aktuell 6, 20.04.2007. (PDF)

Guérot, U. (2006), Germany and Europe: New Deal or Déjà Vu?, Notre Europe, Studies and Research N°55. (PDF)

 
Greece
 
Hungary

Ireland

The Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern T.D., speech at a Celebration of Europe Day at Dublin City Hall, 08.05.2006.

Irish Minister of State Noel Treacy, address to the DIT Conference "European Constitution - Pathways and Pitfalls", 05.05.2006.

Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, White Paper on the European Constitution, 13.10.2005. (PDF)

European Commission’s Representation in Ireland, Analysis of the Irish results of a Eurobarometer opinion poll, 09.09.2005. (PDF)

 
Italy

European Parliament (2007), Debate with PM Prodi, 22.05.2007. (HTML)

PM Romano Prodi, speech on European integration, Portuguese Parliament, 2.05.2007. (Italian) (HTML)

President of the Italian Republic Napolitano, G. (2006), Is there a Future for European Integration?, speech at "The Future of Europe Series', hosted jointly by FT Business and the LSE European Institute, 12.10.2006. (PDF)

Vice Presidente del Consiglio e Ministro degli Affari Esteri, Massimo d’Alema (2006), La seconda occasione dell’Europa, Intervento all’istituto Universitario Europeo, Firenze, 25 Ottobre 2006, (Italian) (PDF)

 
Latvia
 
Lithuania
 
Luxembourg
Vice-Premier Ministre et Ministre des Affaires étrangères et de l’Immigration du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Jean Asselborn; Ministre des Affaires étrangères et de la Coopération du Royaume d’Espagne Miguel Ángel Moratinos (2007), L’Europe que nous voulons, 17.01.2007. (French) (PDF)
Malta
 
Netherlands

Official Documents

European Parliament (2007), Debate with PM Jan Peter Balkenende, 23.05.2007. (HTML)

British PM Tony Blair and Dutch PM Jan-Peter Balkenende (2007), press conference, transcript, 15.04.2007. (HTML)

Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister for European Affairs (2007), Dutch aims for discussions on amending European treaties, Letter to the House of Representatives on the status of discussion on a new European treaty, 19.03.2007. (HTML)

Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2006), The State of the European Union 2006-2007, annual report. (Word)

Dutch foreign ministry, Letter to parliament on period of reflection, 19.05.2006. (PDF) (Dutch) Press Release (English)

Analysis

Dutch Institute for Public Opinion and Market Research (2007), Nederlanders open voor nieuw Europees verdrag, survey, 17.01.2007. (Word) (Dutch)

Vollaard, H.; Boer, B. (2006), Euroscepticism in the Netherlands, Paper prepared for the EpsNet conference ‘European in Context: Debating the Project’, Central European University, Budapest, 16 and 17 June 2006. (PDF)

Aarts, K.; van der Kolk, H (2006), Understanding the Dutch "No": The Euro, the East, and the Elite, PSOnline, April PS Symposium: EU Constitution: RIP?. (PDF).

 
Poland

Analysis

Gros, D.; Kurpas, S.; Widgren, M: (2007), Weighting votes in the Council: Towards a ‘Warsaw compromise’?, CEPS Commentary/20 June 2007. (PDF)

Kaczynski, M. (2007), Poland and Voting in the Council, Real Instituto Elcano, ARI 66/2007. (PDF)

Hierlemann, D.; Seeger, S. (2007), Who wants what and why? FAQs about the EU Constitutional Summit, Bertelsmann Forschungsgruppe Politik, spotlight europe, 2007-03. (PDF)

Institute of Public Affairs (2006), Polish public opinion on the European Union and the Constitutional Treaty, Survey Report, June 2006,. (PDF)

Polish Institute of International Affairs; Institute of Public Affairs (2006), The future of the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe – a strategy for Poland, Report, May 2006. (PDF)

 

 
Portugal
 
Rumania
 
Slovakia
 
Slovenia
 
Spain

Official Documents

Spanish - French proposal, Non paper Hispano Francés, 14.06.2007. (Spanish) (PDF)

Secretaría de Estado para la Unión Europea, Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperación (2007), Reflexiones sobre el futuro de la Unión Europea (II), Actualización del Informe del Gobierno al Congreso de los Diputados, DT Nº 8/2007. (Spanish) (HTML)

Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2007), Final Declaration, Ministerial Meeting of Friends of the Constitution “For a Better Europe”, Madrid, 26.01.2007. (Word)

Secretaría de Estado para la Unión Europea, Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperación, El futuro de la Unión Europea: Informe del Gobierno al Congreso de los Diputados, 9.2.2006, (Spanish) (HTML) (PDF)

Analysis

Rodríguez Iglesias, R.C.; Torreblanca, J.I. (Coor.) (2007), El futuro de la Constitución Europea: Opciones para España, Real Instituto Elcano, 8º Informe Elcano, enero de 2007. (Spanish) (PDF)

 
Sweden
 
United Kingdom

Official Documents

British Foreign Secretary (2007), UK position on a treaty to reform the European Union's institutions, House of Commons, 20.06.2007. (HTML)

British PM Tony Blair and Dutch PM Jan-Peter Balkenende (2007), press conference, transcript, 15.04.2007. (HTML)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office (2007), Prospects for the European Union in 2007 : The German Presidency, January to June 2007, presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by Command of Her Majesty, January 2007. (PDF)

House of Commons, Foreign Affairs Committee (2006), Developments in the European Union, Sixth Report of Session 2005–06, Report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence, 26.07.2006. (PDF)

UK Minister for Europe Geoff Hoon, 'A new agenda for Europe', Centre for European Reform, speech, 14.06.2006. (HTML)

PM Tony Blair, Speech on future of Europe, Oxford University, 02.02.2006. (HTML)

Analysis

Hierlemann, D.; Seeger, S. (2007), Who wants what and why? FAQs about the EU Constitutional Summit, Bertelsmann Forschungsgruppe Politik, spotlight europe, 2007-03. (PDF)

Brady, H.; Grant,C. (2007), Why treaty change matters for business and for Britain, CER, policy brief, May 2007. (PDF)

Corbett, R. (2007), Britain and the Constitutional Treaty, EUobserver.com, Comment, 16.04.2007. (HTML)

Grant, C. (2007), Britain and the EU: A Crisis Looms, CER Bulletin, Issue 53, April/May 2007. (HTML)

 
 
 
Positions of European Institutions


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European Parliament

European Parliament (2007), Debated a report on the roadmap for the European Union's constitutional process, 07.06.2007. (HTML)

Pöttering, Hans-Gert, (2007), Vor dem Juni-Gipfel 2007: Was wird aus der Verfassung für Europa?, Rede an der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 14.05.2007. (German) (PDF)

Barón Crespo, E.; Brok, E. (2007), Report on the roadmap for the Union's Constitutional Process, Committee on Constitutional Affairs, A6-0197/2007. (PDF)

European Parliament (2007), MEPs debate Berlin Declaration with Merkel, press info, 29.03.2007. (HTML)

European Parliament (2007), Debate on Berlin Declaration, Strasbourg, 14.03.2007. (HTML)

European Parliament President Poettering (2007), Keynote inaugural speech, European Parliament, 13.02.2007. (PDF)

El Presidente del Parlamento Europeo Borrell, J. (2006), de "Revolutionibus Europae" o el reto de la crisis constitucional, discurso pronunciado el 16 de octubre de 2006 en el Colegio de Europeo de Brujas. (Spanish) (French) (HTML)

President of the European Parliament, Josep Borrell (2006), L'Europe, sujet ou jouet de la mondialisation?, speech at the European University Institute, 13 October 2006, (French) (PDF)

European Parliament, Resolution on the period of reflection: the structure, subjects and context for an assessment of the debate on the European Union, A6-0414/2006, 19.01.2006. (HTML)

European Parliament, The period of reflection: the structure, subjects and context for an assessment of the debate on the European Union, Co-rapporteurs: Andrew Duff and Johannes Voggenhuber, PE 364.708/v02-00, 16.12.2005.

 

 
European Commission

President of the European Commission Durão Barroso, J.M. (2007), A stronger Europe for a successful globalization, speech at the official ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaties of Rome., 25.03.2007. (HTML)

Vice President of the European Commission responsible for Institutional Affairs and Communication Strategy Wallström, M. (2006), The consequences of the lack of a European Constitution, speech before the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, Brussels, 22.11..2006. (HTML)

European Commission, The cost of the non-Constitution, DG Communication, Staff working paper, 22.11.2006. (PDF)

European Commission COM (2006) 629 final: Work Programme for 2007, 24.10.2006. (PDF)

Vice President of the European Commission Margot Wallström (2006), The Constitutional Treaty: The Way Forward, speech, Notre Europe debate on "Plan B: how to rescue the European Constitution", Brussels, 18 october 2006. (HTML)

Président de la Commission européenne José Manuel Barroso, Discours au Parlement européen en vue du Conseil européen des 15 et 16 juin 2006, Parlement européen, Strasbourg, 14 juin 2006. (PDF) (French)

European Commission COM(2006) 278 final, Concept Paper: Europe in the World — Some Practical Proposals for Greater Coherence, Effectiveness and Visibility, Brussels, 08.06.2006. (PDF)

Commission of the European Communities, The Period of reflection and Plan D, COM(2006) 212, Brussels, 10.5.2006.

 

 

 

 


 

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Doctorado en Unión Europea